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Langmuir Probe Measurements Of An Argon Plasma, Andrew B. Hansen

Macalester Journal of Physics and Astronomy

In the field of thin-film research, there exists a novel method of film growth called Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition or PECVD. This technique utilizes the energetic electrons released from a plasma discharge to help catalyze chemical reactions in the deposition chamber that are essential to the film-growth process. Because plasma dynamics are not very well understood, much research goes into developing techniques to characterize a plasma's properties. In our research, we examined techniques used to measure the current versus voltage characteristic of an Argon plasma by use of a Langmuir Probe with the ultimate goal of determining the plasma's …